What secrets lie beneath this mound of earth? This is the 114. halomsír. It is more than just a hill. It is a window into the lives of people who lived here millennia ago.
Halomsír translates to burial mound. These mounds are ancient graves. People built them over thousands of years using earth and stones. This particular halomsír stands as a testament to the past. Similar burial mounds exist worldwide. Their sizes vary greatly. Some are only a few meters high. The largest reaches up to 69 meters.
In ancient times, many cultures used halomsírs. They were common in the Near East and in places like Troy. The Mycenaean culture also used them. Scythians knew them as kurgans. Etruscans also built these mounds. Famous examples include Achilles’ grave in Troy and Cucumella in Etruria. Burial mounds have even been found in Upper Egypt and Nubia. Their use spans from the 4th millennium BC to the Egyptian New Kingdom.
Here in the Carpathian Basin, these mounds are often called kunhalmok. Many place names still reflect their presence. Százhalom is one such example. These mounds often stand alone in the plains. Sometimes a paved road leads to them. Their size indicates the rank of the person buried there. Some reach 20 meters in height and 300 meters in circumference.
The purpose of a kunhalom was similar to that of pyramids and ziggurats. Their construction resembles Mycenaean false-domed tombs. However they are much simpler. Some graves were dug into the ground. Others were built directly on the surface. Builders constructed the tomb from wood. They piled earth on the wooden frame. This created an artificial hill. Sometimes, multiple people were buried in one kurgan.
The earliest kurgans served as family burial sites. They date back to early communal societies. Hundreds of kunhalmok exist in Hungary. Most are in the Great Plain. The largest is Gödény-halom near Békésszentandrás. However a kunhalom is not always a halomsír. Kunhalmok did not always serve as burial sites.
Százhalombatta gets its name from the hundreds of Iron Age halomsírs found here. The 115th halom has been open to visitors since 1998. In Inota, there are unique halomsírs dating to the 2nd century AD. These two burial mounds are each about 25 meters in diameter. They contained a Roman-era carriage burial. This is rare in the Roman Empire. The burial reflects both Roman and Celtic traditions. The site also features a well-preserved surrounding wall. It has a small room with frescoes for cultic functions.
So as you stand before the 114. halomsír remember the people and cultures that created it. Consider the history beneath your feet. It connects us to the distant past. The halomsír is a silent witness to the ages.